Re: how many samples until you get a headache

Some days I can smell 8-10 with little 'fresh air' breaks in between. Other days I can't tell fragrances apart after the 4th sample. I think it depends very much on the breaks you give yourself and the type of fragrance you smell. I remember the day Tobacco Vanille shut down my nose for an entire day. *shudders*

Re: how many samples until you get a headache

On a good day, I can smell 20-30 scents without fatigue in the usual sense. I can still clearly distinguish them, the problem is that when I start to sniff so many scents it seems to mess w/ my nervous system much like excessive caffeine. I feel jittery, almost manic, and can't sleep for hours.

On bad days, maybe 5-6 scents max. Not sure what causes 'bad days' outside of poor sleep. I'm sure there's more to it than that though.

Re: how many samples until you get a headache

hmm. I've noticed from my sample hauls that I'll get sick of frags after 4-5 consecutive samples. I've learned to not over do it because for some reason if I smell too many in a day it almost leaves a lasting negative impression on those fragrances from that point on.

Re: how many samples until you get a headache

No headaches so far from fragrance sampling/testing, yet as soon as I exceed the 10 different scents mark, I definitely get olfactory fatigue and can hardly tell not even the most obvious, strong, even overpowering notes and/or scents apart.

Re: how many samples until you get a headache

Originally Posted by Kagey

I don't get headaches either, but I can do 4 or 5 before I no longer trust myself to distinguish them properly and make any good decisions.

much the same for me too. I do find some times I cannot smell anything to start with. Not sure why, but I will try again after some time and find I can smell with great clarity. I do not find any value in coffee beans. Especially the more expereinced I get. I just try to smell only scents I know a little about and what to expect prior to smelling it. I am not interested in smelling anything and everything the SA is trying to push that day.